Lil

I had previously read and enjoyed Lousie Candlish's previous novel The Sudden Departure of the Frasers . So when Lovereading offered up review copies of her lastest novel The Swimming Pool I jumped at the chance. The day it arrived, if you'll pardon the pun, I dived right in. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  The swimming pool: a perfect stage. In the heady swelter of a London summer, the Elm Hill lido opens. For teacher Natalie Steele, the school holiday typically means weeks of carefully planned activities with her husband Ed and their daughter Molly. But not this year. Despite Molly's extreme phobia of the water, Natalie is drawn to the lido and its dazzling social scene, led by the glamorous Lara Channing. Soon Natalie is spending long, intoxicating days with Lara at the pool - and intimate evenings at her home. Natalie's real life begins to feel very far away. But is the new friendship everything it seems? Why is Natalie haunt...

I was looking through my review notebook (which in reality is an old notepad full of jumbled ideas and half-asleep handwriting), and found a handful of short reviews, some of which are only a few sentences, that have yet to see the light of day. Life has been getting in the way of blogging lately for me, so writing up these  thoughts on a few books seems like a good way to get back into the swing of things. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My name is Amber Fraser. I've just moved in at Number 40, Lime Park Road. You'll come to think of me as a loving wife, a thoughtful neighbour and a trusted friend. This is a lie. When Christy and Joe Davenport are handed the keys to Number 40 on picture-perfect Lime Park Road, Christy knows it should be a dream come true. How strange though that the house was on the market for such a low price. That the previous owners, the Frasers, had renovated the entire property yet moved out within a year. That none o...

*Thanks to Francesca Russell  at Penguin Random House for sending me a proof copy of this book in exchange for a review!* - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Harriet Jenner is just twenty-one when she walks through the gates of Fenix House. Reeling from a personal tragedy, she doesn't expect her new life as a governess to be easy. But she certainly does not foresee the spell Fenix House will cast. Almost fifty years later, Harriet's granddaughter Grace follows in her footsteps. For Grace, raised on Harriet's spellbinding stories, Fenix House is a fairy tale; a magical place suspended in time. But the now-faded grandeur of the mansion soon begins to reveal the holes in Harriet's story and Grace finds herself in a place of secrets and shadows. For Fenix House hides truths about her family, and everything that she once knew is about to change... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The plot of this novel in...

We are liars We are beautiful and privileged We are cracked and broken A tale of love and romance A tale of tragedy Which are lies? Which is truth? You decide I finished reading We Were Liars an hour ago. Usually I wait a while to gather my thoughts before writing my reviews, but when a book renders you this speechless I feel compelled to record my initial reactions. I've noticed that a lot of reviews for this are quite short, because spoilers, and I really don't want to give anything away. All I will say is that I cried at the end, and I never cry at books, ever! So it's clear that this one really packs an emotional punch. More than a punch - it floored me. We Were Liars is narrated by Cadence Sinclair. Every summer she and all of her family gather at Beechwood Island, the family seat governed by her grandfather. There she spends her days with the Liars - her cousins Johnny who is 'bounce, intelligence and snark' and Mirren who is 'sugar, curiosity and rain...

 Hosted by Jamie, The Perpetual Page Turner. It's that time of year again, and I can't believe how quickly it's come around! I've had this little blog for over two years now and time has just flown by. New Year's Eve is time to reflect on the past year, and in terms of reading this survey is a great way of reminding myself of the books I've read this year. Stats Number Of Books You Read: 47 Number of Pages Read: 14, 107 Shortest Book Read: Shopaholic on Honeymoon by Sophie Kinsella Longest Book Read: The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin Genre You Read The Most From: Historical Fiction/Romance   Best Book You Read In 2015? Kit by Marina Fiorato Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? The Sudden Departure of the Frasers by Louise Candlish. Great premise, but I just didn't care about any of the characters that much.   Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? The First Wife by Er...

2015 was a great year in books for me. Choosing just ten books for this list was a tricky task, but there were some that really stood out. Some are debuts, others are older books that I've only just got around to reading. All are brilliant in their own right, and I implore you to read them for yourself! 1) Kit by Marina Fiorato. My book of the year. If you like Mulan you'll love this! 2) The Silvered Heart by Katherine Clements. The tale of Katherine Ferras, highwaywoman. 3) The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice. An older book, but an instant favourite. 4) The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Such a lovely, quirky, funny book. 5) The First Wife by Erica Spindler. So gripping that I read it in less than 24 hours. 6) Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz. Bond is back. 7) The Affair by Gill Paul. The story of one woman's life-changing summer in beautiful Italy. 8) The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett. Think Sliding Doors meets One Day. 9) Amy Snow by Tracy Rees. Fo...

 Rome 1961. The cameras roll on the film set of Cleopatra and the explosive Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton love affair is about to capture the world’s attention.   When Diana Bailey begins work as a historical advisor, tensions are running high. The film is in financial crisis and a media storm is brewing over the Taylor-Burton relationship.   Diana adjusts to a new life away from her troubled marriage, and strikes up a close friendship with Helen, a young make-up artist, as well as seeking solace in Ernesto, a charismatic member of the film crew. But Helen is harbouring a dark secret - one that will affect Diana in more ways than she could ever imagine…   An enthralling story of love and passion, set against the stunning backdrop of one of the most iconic Hollywood movies ever made I've been wanting to read this book for a while so was pleased when I finally got my hands on it. The plot is much deeper and darker than I was expecting, which can only be a good th...